Back to the Wild- My time with KSES

By Dylan - 1 week intern

I grew up watching David Attenborough, Steve Irwin and, for the UK readers, Steve Backshall. I was amazed by every different wildlife creation that this planet had cooked up. However, for all the hundreds of hours of documentaries I had watched about animals in the wild, I never believed that I would be able to experience this with my own eyes, and KSES gave me this opportunity and can give you this opportunity as well.

Before arriving at KSES, I will admit that I was nervous, maybe even slightly intimidated. Although I had research experience, I had no experience with wildlife research. However, once we arrived in the village, met by smiling faces and dozens of wagging tails, I knew that this anxiety had been misplaced. From the moment you step out of the car on arrival, you’re immersed in the serene yet busy world of rural Thailand. The village is scattered with dogs that are happy to see you every time you walk past, chickens run free (and the roosters will make their presence felt early every morning), and buffalo laze outside your homestay window. The Karen people are so friendly, always greeting you with a smile and a friendly “da blue.” The first night eating at your homestay, you are introduced to the cooking of your Karen homestay host, and you will not be disappointed. The food is more delicious every day, and you will appreciate it more than ever after a long morning hike.

The work being done at KSES is crucial to the reintroduction of elephants, that have been in the tourist or logging industries, back into the wild. I didn’t have the full picture of the effects that these industries had on the well-being of elephants. In Western culture, elephants are a novelty animal—cuddly toys and Disney characters—and when you visit the tourist attractions in Asia, this image is upheld by the elephant rides and bathing experiences. However, once you see elephants in their natural habitats, you realize how integral these animals are to the ecosystem of the forest, and all they have to offer with their forestry skills and ability. The research that the team at KSES is undertaking is crucial to the plight of returning these majestic animals to their home. To be able to provide even the smallest amount of input and help to the research being done at KSES is an opportunity everyone should jump at. The volunteers, interns and leaders at KSES could not be more accommodating and make you feel right at home. The whole team is there to support you and were able to answer all my questions and quash any of my apprehensions. They made the research very accessible and explained everything with care and patience; you will feel like you're part of the team, and that is more of a privilege than words can explain. The dedication the team at KSES has is commendable. And once you have experienced life at KSES and met the elephants, you will understand why people commit their lives to them.

I could write a whole book of praise for the people I have met here. However, if the community and people weren’t enough to make you stay, wait till you meet the elephants. Most people would have seen elephants in captivity, either at a zoo or in multiple captive environments across Asia. However, this is such a partial representation of the majesty of an elephant in its natural habitat. The grace and expertise that these elephants possess in the forest is something to be marvelled at. Whilst you will be slipping around on the muddy forest tracks and trying your hardest not to slip down a hill onto your backside, the elephants will be marauding ahead of you, unfazed by the elements “as if they were born to be here.” And although I may be biased, the elephants at KSES are the best representation of why elephant rewilding projects are so important.

To be clear, it's not a breeze here. You do wake up tired, and the hikes are draining. The first morning hike I was wondering why, instead of sitting in a nice air-conditioned cafe in Chiang Mai sipping an iced coffee, I was wading through sticky mud and battling through onslaughts of mosquitos in the Thai forest. However, once we had found the elephants, it was all worth it and more. The first day we observed the family unit at KSES—Dodo, Sri Prai, and Junior. The dynamic between them is somehow familiar, even within these giants of the natural world. Mum and baby stay close, and she always has a watchful eye to make sure he is not getting carried away in his playful boisterousness, and he always knows to run back to mum if any of the forest elements take him by surprise. Dodo was always just a stone's throw away, aloof but making sure to keep his family within a trunk's reach. Each elephant is unique, and at my time at KSES I had the privilege to spend time with mother-daughter duo Too Mae and Mae Doom. Too Mae is the old lady of the herd, and she has passed her wisdom through the family, teaching the other elephants the ways of the forest. And Mae Doom has particularly picked up on the foraging skills—no tree or bush will get in her way on the hunt for the next tasty snack. You are in awe of these creatures, and time flies when watching them. The hour and a half of observing their behavior feels like the blink of an eye. You want to stay as long as possible, just in case you miss a good piece of tool use, or a really good dust, or even a great butt scratch. So although you’re tired and the hikes can be tough, you will tackle them head on and even embrace them because you get such a huge reward at the end. You get to spend time in the presence of one of the true enigmas of the natural world—a titan of the forest. And any small amount of time and effort you give goes to support a cause which will help more and more of these magnificent creatures leave their lives in captivity and return home.

I wish I could spend longer here. I hope I can give more to support the work being done at KSES, and I dream I could have one more of Nee's unbelievable mango smoothies—and if you visit, you will too.